Anyone have a safe?

[Deleted]

We're working on optimizing our document storage, and realizing that we should probably get some sort of waterproof/fireproof safe for our house. Do you have one? Where'd you get it? Do you like it?

[fivenow]

I have a small one from *gasp* Wal-Mart. It works well for our needs, but we don't have much to store. We have important docs and the external hard drive in there. I think it cost around 60 or 70.

[Deleted]

We got ours at Target.

[justjen]

Staples? I think.

[Deleted]

Home Depot. It's pretty big, fireproof, waterproof, combination lock. It was $199.

[marie427]

Yes, from Amazon. I think I paid about $40. I like it because i can insert hanging-files inside.

[heygrey]

i have one from target. it cost around $40, i think? (it was a wedding shower gift from my grandma, lol.) it's not huge, but it holds our most important things like passports and birth/marriage/immigration certificates and extra cash/gift cards we might have in the house. if i were buying again, i'd get something that can hold a couple folders so i could throw a few more papers in there without folding them up.

[holly116]

Jan 5, 2013 16:43:12 GMT -5 @redbellpeppers said:

Home Depot. It's pretty big, fireproof, waterproof, combination lock. It was $199.

This.

[kaylie]

We got a waterproof/fireproof box from Lowe's for $20 on black friday. It's not huge, but it fits the important documents.

[kwynn]

We got ours at a warehouse club like Costco, etc...it's small but does the job.

[hski2349]

One thing I have read multiple times about small safes in your home, is to make sure you bolt it to the ground. I have read articles that say burglars will take safes not bolted down because they know your most important documents are in it.

[flatlan]

We have one that we keep our passports, birth certificates, car titles, etc. It is a really good investment for peace of mind.

[saywhatnow]

Jan 5, 2013 18:05:36 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

Note: don't store jewelry and valuables in this type of safe - they're heavy but not impossible to move, so if someone broke into your house they'd likely look there for jewelry/valuables. I just put things of value to me (like my DVD of all my wedding photos and video) that any thief wouldn't care about.

I have also heard that thieves will just take them. But, how will the theif know that there isn't jewelry in there? He'll end up taking your safe and now you don't have your wedding photos and DVD.

We have our passports, birth certificates, etc in a safe deposit box. I'd like to keep them at home but figure they are safer at the bank. Am I wrong?

[ohbirdie]

We also have a fire proof box. I don't think of it more of a security issue from theft. I was more concerned about water/fire damage to our documents. As someone who had their house burn down as a child, I can vouch for how important something like this is. I never considered it as a theft issue.

[CloudBee]

I would check on Amazon. You can review ratings and probably get one shipped for free. They can be bulky and heavy!

[countthestars]

We got one similar to the one milsaroo linked at BJs.

[Deleted]

Jan 7, 2013 7:08:52 GMT -5 saywhatnow said:

Jan 5, 2013 18:05:36 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

Note: don't store jewelry and valuables in this type of safe - they're heavy but not impossible to move, so if someone broke into your house they'd likely look there for jewelry/valuables. I just put things of value to me (like my DVD of all my wedding photos and video) that any thief wouldn't care about.

I have also heard that thieves will just take them. But, how will the theif know that there isn't jewelry in there? He'll end up taking your safe and now you don't have your wedding photos and DVD.

We have our passports, birth certificates, etc in a safe deposit box. I'd like to keep them at home but figure they are safer at the bank. Am I wrong?

I could not imagine having to go to the bank to pick up my passport when I need it. Particularly because I could in theory be asked to travel on very short notice -- I've had work trips before that were kind of "get on the next plane/train because we need you to be somewhere for something tomorrow morning." Those have been domestic, but international is always a possibility...

My parents have lockboxes, and one was stolen along the way, and my original birth certificate ended up at the bottom of a river with the rest of the contents of our lockbox. So yes, there is always a risk of that. But to be honest, it isn't all that hard to get a new copy of your birth certificate (nor a replacement passport, etc.) so I think I'd prefer the risk of having to apply new documents in the very off chance that our lockbox is stolen over the certainty of having to go to the bank every time I need an important document.

We have several copies of our wedding DVDs in several places, and both sets of parents have their own copies, so if the copies in our lockbox got stolen, we have plenty of backups.

[sicilygirl]

We just bought this small one from Amazon and like it. tinyurl.com/b4wmwyd It works for a few letter sized documents, CDs, passports, etc.